Assembled picture frame or the like



April 27, 1943.

W.ZAREKO v 2,317,708

ASSEMBLED PICTURE FRAME OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 10, 1941 2 Sh'ets-Sheet 1 Tlgi.

INVENTOR- /%u T5,? 24 E f/(0.

ATTORNEY April 27, 1943. w. ZAREKO ASSEMBLED PICTURE FRAME OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 10, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 -INVENTOR [4414 1-5;? v 24 RE/fd. BY

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 27, 1943 ASSEIVIBLED PICTURE FRAME OR THE LIKE Walter Zareko, New York, N. Y., assignor to Doris Zareko, New York, N. Y.

Application February 10, 1941', S'eriart No. 378,121

6. Claims.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide means for detachably hi'nging together two or more pictures, mirrors or similar articles in such manner that various combinations of the articles can be made so that the articles may be adjusted for support on a plane surface or other tached, either detachablyor otherwise, to the adjacent edge-portions of such articles as before mentioned.

These being among the objects of the present invention, the same consists of certain features of construction and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and then claimed with reference to the accompanying drawings illustrating, suitable embodiments of the invention and wherein- Fig- 1 is an elevation of a plurality of connected frames of photographs, mirrors, etc..;.

Fig. 2 is a plan View looking, down. on the upper edges of the articles shown in Fig. 1, two of. them being shown in an adjusted angular positionin broken lines; I

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the parts shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. 4. is. a detail. top view broken away, showing more particularly an adjustment of the hinge unit;

Fig.-. 5 is a rear elevation, partly'in broken lines, showing one article or frame about tobe attached to another one;

Fig. 6 is a sectional enlargement on the line 56, Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse section on lin ll, Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is a section similar to Fig. '7, and including in addition a corresponding section throughanother portion or" the hinge unit;

Fig. 9 is a front elevation of the article's shown in Fig. 1, illustrating how they may be arranged to abut edgewise;

Fig. 10 is an elevation. similar to Fig.1, showing one of the articles or frames in an elevated positi'on;

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view, showing a modified construction; and

Fig. 12 is asimilar section showing still another modification.

ReferringtoFigs. 1, 2 and 3, a series of articles, say thre pictures or photographs, P, P P is shown with their respective frames l5, l6 and H, the framed pictures being' hingedly connected together in spaced relation. framed pictures may b two or any convenient number. The frames l5, l6, l-T are hinged together by means of hinges l8, there being two of them between the adjoin-ing articles or framed pictures or any desired number of them.

Each hinge preferably comprises links [9, 20, constituting a pair of links, and the same are connected together by a pivot 21. Preferably, theselinks are formed of fi at pieces of metal adapted to extend; flatwise in ahori'zontal plane. A very short pivot it can be used; In the drawings, each of the links l9, W is shown as curved inthe plane of their flatness, or each link could be: angular, and such shapes are preferable to straight links.

Two hinges l8 are shown as connecting two bars or strips 221, 23, so that the latter ar arranged substantially parallel with each other, and eachof the bars or strips is provided at the upper end with an angul'arly-projectihg lug or stud 24 and at the lower end with a corresponding lug or stud: 25 said lugs extend in planes which are parallel with the planes of the links of the hinges when pivots 26 connect the hinges said lug-s, saidpivots passing through the outer ends of the links; that is to say, those ends whichar opposite to the ends of the links which are connected by the pivots it. Each of said bars or strips 22 23' is preferably formed of thin but comparatively stiff sheet metal, the lugs 24, 25 being bent up therefrom so as to be integral therewith.

It will be seen that the elements iii-26 inelusive of the hinges are thus assembled together as a unit, which canb handled and sold as such. It will also be seen that when a corresponding pair of links of the two hinges is moved on the pivots 26, the bar or strip carried thereby will always be moved to a relation parallel with the bar or strip carried by the other correspondingpair of links. Said bars or strips 22', 23 are adapted to constitute sliding members, as will hereinafter appear.

Members complementary to the bars or strips The number of the 22, 23 are provided by bars or strips 21, 28, which are also preferably made of sufficiently strong and stiff, yet thin, sheet metal. Each of the bars or strips 21, 28 is provided with inwardly-bent or angular flanges. 29, forming guide-grooves or channels between them, and a slot 30 between the bent edges of the flanges 29. Enlarged cross-sections showing how each of the bars 21,28 is preferably constructed are shown in Figs. '7 and 8, and an enlarged longitudinal section is shown in Fig. 6, so that these figures may also be referred to for a better understanding of the construction of said bars 21, 28. Each bar or strip 21, 28 may be secured to either of the frames I5, I6, I1 by means of a fastening 3|. A resilient strip of metal 32 extends through the channel of each bar or strip 21, 28, so as to have a small degree of resiliency. The ends of each strip 32 are secured to either of the frames I5, I6, I1 by means of fastenings 33. Such spring 32 serves to press the slidemember thereon into firm contact with the flanges 29.

The length of the spring-strip 32 is greater than that of the channel-bar or strip 21 or 28, but in this respect the construction may vary, as will hereinafter appear. Each of the channelbars or strips 21, 28 constitutes a guide for one of the strips or slide-members 22, 23, when it is.desired to assemble articles such as I5, I6, I1 together.

In Fig. 5 the manner of connecting together two of the articles or framed pictures is indicated. An article or framed, picture may have a slide-member 23 inserted into the channel of the strip or channel-member 28 (Fig. 3) secured to said article, and then two such articles may be connected by moving the article on which the hinge I8 is mounted towards the other article to be hingedly connected with it and by moving .the hinge-mounted article longitudinally towards the channel of the channel-member 21, which is mounted on the article frame shown below the hinge-mounted article. The slide-members 22, 23 can then be adjusted on the articles to the desired position lengthwise or vertically thereof, and at the same time the lower edges of the articles may be brought into alignment, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In the same manner, another article may be hingedly connected with the hinge-mounted article at the other edge of the latter, so that any desired number of articles or framed pictures may be assembled together.

When the articles or framed pictures or the like are of different lengths, the channel-members and slides would preferablyand in some cases, necessarily-be longer on the longest article than on the shorter article, that is, there may be, for instance, a large framed photograph and smaller framed photographs to be connected together. It will be seen that when the slides and channel-members are telescoped together, the springs 32 act with the desirable pressure on the slides to hold them in longitudinally adjusted position in the channel-members. It will be noted that not only a pair of the hinges may be pivotally connected to the slide-members or strips 22, 23 to be sold as a unit, but also that the channel-members 21, 28 may be combined with and sold and used as a unit with the aforesaid members, in which case the slide-members would be in engagement with the channels of the channel-members and positively held therein by the spring action of the springs 32.

In Figs. 9 and were respectively shown some different positions which may be obtained by the proper adjustment of the articles or framed pictures relatively to each other and by the proper adjustment of the hinges I8. Of course, very many different positions of the articles or framed members may be obtained, and when two or more are hingedly connected together, as in Fig. 2, they may be stood up on their lower edges on a plane surface for supporting them; and as shown in broken lines in Fig. 2, the articles such as I5, I6, I1 may be arranged in different angular positions relatively to each other, which assists in supporting the articles upright. Artic es thus hingedly connected can be adjusted one in advance or behind the other, and the links of the hinges may be in a number of different relative positions.

In Fig. 11 a modification is illustrated, wherein a guideor channel-member 34 similar to that previously described is provided, the same being formed with integral terminals extending therefrom and adapted to be fastened to a frame. In the channel of the member 34, a slide-member 35 is provided similar to the slide-members previously described, and a leaf-spring 36 is secured thereto by means of a rivet 31. The rivet is located preferably at about the midlengths 01' the member 35 and the spring 36, and this construction may prove the better way to equip the hinge unit for sale or use. In this case the ends of the spring 36 preferably do not extend beyond the ends of the slide-member 35.

In Fig. 12 another modification is illustrated wherein the guideor channel-member 38 is provided with struck-up spring-tongues 39, which are adapted to frictionally engage with the slide 40.

In Fig. 3 the articles or framed pictures are shown each as provided with the usual hinged stay or prop 4|, which is employed to support a framed picture or the like upon a surface. Such stays may be used to incline the articles. I

Inasmuch as the illustrated and described invention is adapted for use in hingedly connecting either framed pictures or photographs, mirrors, placques or the like, the word panel" will be used in the appended claims in order to read on any such article. It will be understood that where metal articles are to be hingedly connected together, the edges of the articles may have proper channels or grooves formed therein, or the described channelor guide-members may be welded or otherwise secured to such metal articles.

Obviously the invention is susceptible of other changes and modifications, as will be apparent from the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new is:

1. Hingedly-connected panels, including at least two panels, such as framed pictures or the like, hinges connecting the panels, parallel slides to which opposite ends of the hinges are pivoted, and parallel guides on the adjacent edges of the panels and receiving said slides for adjustment thereon, and spring means acting between the opposing surfaces of the slides and guides to resiliently maintain the slides in adjusted position.

2. Hingedly-connected panels, including at least two panels, such as framed pictures or the like, hinges connecting the panels and each comprising two links pivoted together, parallel slides to which opposite ends of the hinges are pivoted, and parallel guides. on the adjacent edges of the panels and receiving said slides for adjustment thereon, the panels adapted to be spaced apart in one plane or in different planes, and also to be positioned in abutment edge to edge in one plane, in which last named position the links of the hinges are closer together behind the abutting edges.

3. A hinge unit, including two hinges each having two pivotally-connected links, a slidemember pivotally connected with two corresponding links of the connected links, and a slide-member pivotally connected with the other two corresponding links, the links being of substantially the same lengths, and the pivotsextending substantially parallel with the slidemembers whereby the slide-members are positioned substantially parallel with each other, and two guide-members each receiving one of the slide-members for adjustment therein; said guide-members adapted to be attached to two panels, whereby the panels are adapted to be adjusted in a direction relatively to and parallel with each other and to be moved on the hinges and adjusted relatively to each other.

4. Hingedly-connected panels, including at least two spaced apart panels, connecting means comprising a pair of leaves pivoted together and extending transversely between the panels, slide members at the opposite ends of the connecting means, parallel guides on the adjacent portions of the panels and receiving the slide members for adjustment thereon, and pivotal connections between the guides and the ends of the connecting means and supplementing the pivot of said leaves,

the panels thereby adapted to be spaced apart in one plane or in difierent planes.

5. Hingedly-connected panels, least two panels, such as framed pictures or the like, hinges connecting the panels, parallel slides to which opposite ends of the hinges are pivoted, and parallel guides on the adjacent portions of the panels and receiving said slides for adjustment thereon, and spring means acting to maintain the slides in adjusted position.

6. A hinge unit, including hinge means having two pivotally connected links, two slide-members, each pivotally connected with a difierent one of the links, and the pivots extending substantially including at 

